


Hold Your Horses (Close to Your Heart)

by FalconFate



Series: Deep Breaths (of the Wild) [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Riding horses, getting emotional about horses, having fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:29:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22898782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconFate/pseuds/FalconFate
Summary: Join Link in his equine adventures across Hyrule, from accidentally falling on his first horse to embarking on the final act of his quest with an old friend.
Series: Deep Breaths (of the Wild) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622791
Kudos: 19





	1. Zelig

Link had, of course, seen the horses. Black, blue, all shades of brown, many of them with splashes of white across their flanks, majestic and free. He had also seen the stable at Dueling Peaks, and had passed several travellers astride their own mounts. He knew horses were, well, _around._

It just… hadn’t occurred to him that he could _ride one._ In an abstract sense, yes, he knew horses could be ridden, and he even had an idea of how to go about it.

But it had not exactly been his intention to fall from a slick cliff and land neatly astride a wild, perfectly blue stallion, who immediately threw his hind legs in the air as high as he could. Without pausing even to think it through, Link immediately tried to soothe the horse, patting and cooing as fervently as he could, his grip on the mane slipping and his legs sliding across the stallion’s back—

When, just as suddenly as the whole panic had begun, the stallion awarded Link for his efforts and calmed enough to simply stand. One hoof pawed roughly at the ground as the stallion nickered low in his chest, but he was, importantly, _calm._ Dazed at the sudden flip in temperament, it was a moment before Link came back to himself and was able to take a deep breath. He looked every which way at his surroundings, reorienting himself—he could see Hateno Tower to the northwest, he must still be on the Firly Plateau. 

The rain didn’t look like it was about to let up anytime soon, so Link sighed and decided to accept that the cliffs about Ebon Mountain would not be scaled today. Instead, he patted the horse’s shoulder again, and nudged him into a brisk trot. Without missing a beat, Link continued to pat and rub the stallion’s neck, finding the repetitive action soothing not only for him, but perhaps for the horse as well—the stallion gradually grew calmer, and, once they had reached the road between Hateno Village and the Dueling Peaks, began to follow the road north and west. 

They passed the Cliffs of Quince, Fort Hateno, scattered Guardian husks, and finally Kakariko Bridge; with a nearly straight path to the stable, Link let the stallion’s mane slide through his fingers as he urged him into a canter, and then spurred him into a gallop, the wind fresh and cool and sweet in his face and his hair, the pure _power_ of the stallion beneath him lifting his spirit and almost fooling him into flight.

They shot past the stable, and were nearly across the Big Twin Bridge before Link even realized. Chuckling, he slowed the stallion to a trot and turned back around.

The stable master, Tasseren, was quite friendly. Link was just glad he had the necessary twenty rupees on him. 

When asked what he wanted to name the stallion, Link paused, and looked the stallion in the eye contemplatively. Then, with a firm nod, he leaned over the desk to scrawl (with surprisingly neat handwriting, if he did say so himself) the name on the registration form.

Tasseren raised an eyebrow, but made no comment on the name, instead offering advice on calling his horse with a whistle. A few minutes later, Link’s new horse was outfitted with a saddle, bridle, shoes, and the name Zelig.

* * *

Zelig was a very, very good boy, but he had a tendency to get very, very hurt when Link happened upon bands of bokoblin cavalry. Crossing the Fural Plain to the relative safety of Highland Stable had been a panic and a half, keeping bokoblin bandits at bay with a serpentine spear, and weaving to avoid the arrows of the rest. By the time they were within the stable fencing, Zelig was winded and trembling. Link hurried to dismount, patting Zelig’s neck reassuringly, and offering him an apple when he no longer seemed to be about to keel over. 

Concerned, Link left Zelig in the stable’s care while he climbed the ridge to the nearby shrine. When he returned, Zelig seemed well on the mend; worries eased, Link decided to socialize. There was Beedle, of course, who was as usual happy to trade and barter; there was man named Blynne, who was rather blusterous, and whom Link didn’t particularly like—though he made a note to, perhaps, show him up later; a woman named Perosa, to whom Link promised to do his best to get rid of the marauding bokoblin bandits; and a young stablehand named Phanna, who was feeding the horses. 

“You know,” said Phanna, dusting off her hands, “if you’d like, I can fit your steed with another saddle or bridle. I’m very good with manes, too!”

Link looked at her curiously.  _ Another saddle?  _ he signed, puzzled.

Phanna nodded emphatically. “Bring your horse over, I’ll show you.”

Impressed with how fond Zelig seemed to be of Link, Phanna happily chattered on about manes and tails, and braiding, and coloring, and flowers, seemingly without taking a breath.

_ What about saddles?  _ Link asked again.

“Oh! Of course,” Phanna said. “It seems you don’t actually have any other saddles besides the stable-made one, but… I hear Blynne has bet his tack on his show jumping record, and I think there’s a retired cavalry soldier offering his old barding to anyone who can show him an impressive figure at the Mounted Archery Camp, by the Faron Plains.”

_ Barding?!  _ Link signed excitedly.  _ Like horse armor?!  _

Phanna laughed. “Yep! I’m sure this little one would appreciate it, huh?” she giggled, giving Zelig a fond scratch on the nose. “Well, don’t be a stranger! Be sure to come back if you find more equipment!”

Link, already mounted, waved as he spurred Zelig onto the road again. His map showed the Faron Plain just through a nearby pass and across a narrow gap… 

It seemed like no time at all before Link and Zelig crossed the Menoat River and came upon two men camped beneath a tree. Jini, the first man Link talked to, was indeed offering drills, and his old equipment to anyone who impressed him. Link enthusiastically bought a few more arrows and paid the fee, already daydreaming of galloping right through the ranks of the bokoblin bandits, their spears and arrows skidding right off of Zelig’s armored flanks…

* * *

Twelve. Twelve targets. 

Link tried again.

* * *

Thirteen targets.

Link frowned, and tried once more.

* * *

Seventeen targets—Jini noted that he was already getting better, but Link really didn’t want to leave without that armor.

* * *

Fifteen targets.

At this point, Link was going to run out of rupees; he was already down to only twenty-three in his wallet. Disappointed, he bid Jini farewell, but before he could ride back to Highland Stable empty-handed, he ran into the other traveller staying at the camp.

Straia, as he introduced himself, was taking a survey of the surrounding lands, and had heard rumors of a giant horse in the area. He offered Link a reward if he could find the giant horse, since the last time he had tried to locate the horse in the Taobab Grassland, he had, instead, met a giant, horse-like beast—and Link, remembering the Lynel he’d run into at the West Gate of Lanayru Road, internally shuddered at the possibility of facing one or more of those terrible beasts. But he squared his shoulders and agreed to try and bring the giant horse to Straia, if only because he needed the money. 


	2. Parva

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link agrees to find the giant horse, and finds a friend along the way.

Link left Zelig at the archery camp and, after confirming where the Taobab Grassland was located, made for the high hills just to the west. He didn’t want to bother with the camp of enemies ensconced in the woods, so he looped north of them, and then climbed Mount Faloraa, avoiding the mounted bokoblins roaming Grinnden Plain. He jogged along the ridge, steeling his nerves when he saw not one, but _two_ Red-Maned Lynels patrolling the canyon below. He couldn’t worry about them now; look for the horse first, worry about Lynels later.

Soon enough, he saw grasslands open up below him, dotted with thick, bulbous trees. But when Link got close enough to see the herd of horses convened in the very center, Link stopped dead in his tracks—for there, indeed, was the most _massive_ horse Link had ever seen. Its size was made more impressive by the long, late-afternoon shadows, and it seemed gloriously unbothered by all of its surroundings. Suddenly wary, Link checked his pouch, relieved to find a few Energizing Elixirs, and even an Enduring Elixir right at the bottom. He could only hope that the giant horse wouldn’t put up too much of a fight.

Deciding that there was nothing much more to it, Link ran for the cliff and jumped, paragliding down into the grassland. He landed in one of the tall trees, as yet unnoticed by the giant horse or its equine court. It would be easy enough to paraglide right onto the giant horse’s back, and…

* * *

…it was not easy. The giant horse noticed Link right as he descended within kicking range. Now Link knew what it was like to fly! Painfully! With a painful landing!

Groaning, Link recovered, stood up, and dusted himself off. The giant horse had trotted away and returned to grazing, ears still fixed in Link’s direction. Link sighed, then began weaving through the long grass at a crouch, using tussocks and dips in the ground for cover to get close once again.

This time, Link was able to get close enough to quickly leap up, grab the giant horse’s mane, and pull himself onto the horse’s back before the giant horse noticed and began bucking, throwing much bigger bucks than Zelig had done. Once again, Link cooed at and patted the horse, and only needed to down one energizing elixir before the giant horse gave up and returned all four of its feet to the ground. 

Link sighed in relief, and walked the giant horse around in a few circles, cooing happily. He felt very, _very_ tall, much taller than he could remember ever feeling in his life, and he giddily had the giant horse trot in a few circles before he remembered Straia. When he remembered Straia, he remembered the Lynels, and Link grimaced, checking his weapons. He had the serpentine spear, a royal broadsword, a soldier’s claymore, and a fishing harpoon, as well as a dragonbone boko bow, a knight’s bow, some thirty-odd arrows, a few ice arrows, three shock arrows, and one bomb arrow. 

Link realized that he might have been a bit underprepared for this venture, and his best chance would be to run right past them. He curled his fingers tightly in the giant horse’s flaming red mane, and spurred it into a steady canter.

They bowled right over a poor wolf, and Link winced at the high yelp it gave as it died in a puff, but they forged on, hugging the canyon wall as they approached the first Lynel. It noticed them, and Link spurred the giant horse again, with no effect except the toss of its head; Link gripped the mane even tighter, tense with anxiety, until they had made it well out of the Lynel’s range of interest.

The second Lynel was much the same, and as Zokassa Ridge began to level beside them, Link and the giant horse cut across it, surprising a huge group of bokoblin bandits and charging right through them before they could rally enough to react. 

From there, it was a near perfect shot back to the Mounted Archery Camp, where Straia was waiting, as was Zelig.

“This mare is incredible!” Straia exclaimed once he’d finished his examination. “Simply marvelous!” He patted around in his pockets for a moment before extending his hand towards Link, a silver rupee glinting in his palm. “Here, as promised. Feel free to bring her back here anytime you’d like!”

_ Bring her back?  _ Link signed, bemused.

Straia gaped at him. “Well—well you’ll  _ keep  _ her, won’t you?! A beauty like her, why  _ wouldn’t  _ you keep her? I daresay she’s the strongest equine I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. You earn her loyalty, she will never let you down,” Straia promised.

Link cast a skeptical glance at the horse. She turned her head to stare right back at him with one large, terrifyingly intelligent green eye, a challenge glinting in their verdant depths. 

_ I’ll think about it,  _ he finally told Straia.

“Well, I certainly hope so,” Straia muttered, before he caught himself and cleared his throat. “Ah—if you’d like to register her at the Highland Stable, just down this road, Jini and I can look after your blue fellow here.”

Link smiled.  _ Thanks.  _

On the long, winding, cliff-sided road back to Highland Stable, Link found himself soothing the giant mare in some way every stride, even if he didn’t really need to. Beneath him, Link felt the enormous muscles relaxing, the stride growing long and fluid, as the mare grew used to him. 

Emerging onto the Fural Plain, Link once again sighted the mounted bandits across the field, a thrill of sudden confidence thundering through his chest. Spinning the serpentine spear into his grip, Link guided the mare with his calves, cutting across the grass and the shallow water of the pond, scattering the small herd of horses (who looked the size of toys next to Link’s steed) and thundering right into the band of marauders.

Link jabbed with his spear in rapid succession first to the right—then to the left—then right ahead in front of him, unseating three of the unfortunate bokoblins and then trampling right over two of them with the giant mare’s hooves, pummelling them into puffs of black and violet smoke; another jab with the spear, and the third got the same treatment. But there were still more, four of them, all charging at Link, two of them swinging their spears over heads, another readying its spiked bat, and the fourth drawing its bow. Link struck the first oncomer, the one with the bat, once—twice—thrice—and once more again, knocking the bokoblin from its mount and from existence, but shattering the serpentine spear in the process. The mare never faltered, and Link quickly rubbed her mane in thanks as he brought his legs up to perch on the mare’s back, balancing, waiting for the perfect moment—

—to  _ leap  _ into the air, drawing his bow, firing one-two-three, one-two-three in rapid succession as time slowed around him, earning himself an arrow each in the six eyes before him. 

Link landed in a crouch, giddy at the victory. With a nicker, the giant mare pranced to a halt beside him. She tossed her head and once more afixed a great green eye on him, a new warmth gleaming within. 

All of a sudden her head snapped up, ears pinned back, and she gave a terrible scream and leapt forward, nearly over Link’s head and directly into the path of another horse and rider—Link heard the unfortunate bokoblin scream as it fell, dying beneath the mare’s hooves as its mount abandoned it. 

With a satisfied snort, the mare turned back to Link.  _ Well? Come on, then, _ her eyes seemed to say. 

Struck dumb, it was maybe half a minute or so before Link came to his senses. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a shiny red apple, one of the hundreds he had collected over the past several days. Link chuckled as the mare’s ears flicked forward, and she nearly took Link’s hand with the apple when she reached forward to grab it with her teeth. Chewing contentedly, she leaned into Link’s touch as he reached up to stroke her face and rub at the base of her ear. Compared to the rest of her head, her ears were  _ tiny. _ Adorably tiny. 

Maybe Straia was right, Link realized. 

* * *

Perosa, who met him at the edge of the stable yard, was incredibly grateful to have the plain cleared of the mounted bokoblins, and Link gratefully accepted the endura carrot she offered. The giant mare was even more grateful for it, munching happily on the tuber as Link approached Padok, the stable master. 

“Well, that’s quite the beast you’ve caught yourself!” Padok whistled appreciatively. “I don’t know that we have anything to fit her—or, well, actually… Hold that thought!” Padok told him, disappearing into the back of the stable. A few minutes later, he reemerged, teetering beneath the weight of the massive saddle hoisted in his arms, and stepping carefully so as not to trip on the reins dragging on the ground beneath him, attached to the enormous bridle draped across his torso. “Here, pulled this from the back,” Padok huffed, laying the equipment as gently as he could at Link’s feet. “Hoo, boy! This stuff hasn’t been used in some time. I hope it fits! I won’t charge you until we know.”

To her credit, the mare stood quite patiently as Padok and Link adorned her with the behemoth equipment, sometimes with one standing on the other’s shoulders. When they were done, they stood back to admire their handiwork.

“Fits like a dream, it does!” Padok exclaimed proudly. Link nudged him, red rupee in hand. “Ah, thank you. I’m glad this worked out! That tack has been sitting in the back for… I don’t even know how long. I hope you’ll make good use of it.” 

The equipment did look a little worse for wear: the wide panels of the bridle and breastplate were cracked at the edges, the fine silken brocade faded and dull. Link, however, was confident that he could take care of it, once he found the time. He pulled the registration form across the desk towards him, and filled out a simple name:  _ Parva.  _

It suited her, Link thought.

Parva, who nudged him gently with her snout, seemed to agree.

“Now,” said Padok, “would you like to leave her in our care? Or would you like to take her with you, and we can fetch Zelig and keep him at the stable?”

Link had already swung himself into the saddle.  _ Take care of Zelig, please,  _ he signed. He directed Parva into a neat turn on the haunches, and then with the spur of his heels they galloped into the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY FAVORITE BABY!!!!! I LOVE THE GIANT HORSE SO MUCH AAHHHHH
> 
> As always, comments and kudos much appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter names will be the names of the horses involved. Zelig happens to be the masculine form of Zelda, but idk if Link knows that. 
> 
> Also I'm writing this instead of studying for exams, so chapters will probably be short and sweet. Sad and stressed? Try writing about cute ponies! Always cheers me up!
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated!


End file.
